The Ryo Saga
by Destonus
Summary: As a lost armor is called forth on Ryo, our heroes learn of its true intentions...EVIL! Can our heroes save their leader?
1. The Armor Unmasked

And, once again we're back, with the next chapter. When we last left Ryo, he was becoming encased in crystals...   


In the Coliseum, there was simply a crystal prison, Hariel, Whiteblaze, and Saban. Everyone else talked amongst themselves, wondering what had become of Ryo. Suddenly, a small crack appeared in the crystal. Slowly it got bigger and bigger, then completely shattered, revealing Ryo, but in an armor unlike anything ever seen before. It looked like Inferno, but was completely translucent. It sparkled in the light like crystal. 

"Crystónin will light our darkest hour." Ryo stated. 

Saban fired another optic blast at Ryo, but he raised his hand and caught it. The energy crackled with power in his hand. 

"Pardon me, but this yours?" Ryo asked, releasing the energy back at Saban. 

Ryo reached on his back and unsheathed a new sword. 

"Try this on for size." Ryo said. 

A silhouette of Sage appeared in place of Ryo, and he shouted, "Thunder...Bolt...Cut!" 

An energy bolt flew at Saban, knocking him backwards. Ryo placed his sword in front of him, and it split into six. Sekhmet's shadow appeared instead of Ryo, and Ryo nailed Saban with a Snake Fang Strike. He next tried his own ability, but it failed to power up. He succeeded in pulling off an Iron Rock Crusher, which sent Saban flying again. 

"I grow bored. Armor Montage!" Ryo shouted. 

He did an Iron Rock Crusher, which he powered up with an Arrow Shockwave. He added a Super Wave Smasher, not to mention a Thunder Bolt Cut. He followed it up with a Quake With Fear, Black Lightning Slash, Snake Fang Strike, and a Web of Deception. All these attacks slammed into Saban, destroying him instantly. The Warlords and Ronins began cheering. 

"Yes! We're saved!" Kento shouted. 

Talpa appeared. 

"Anubis, you imbecile! You had better get that armor off of Ryo, or you won't last too long." he shouted.   
"Why do we need to? Ryo's more powerful than ever." he said. 

Talpa shoved the scroll in Anubis' face. 

Anubis read the last line. 

"Oh my word. Ronins, Warlords, come with me!" Anubis said. 

They approached Ryo, who was admiring his new armor. 

"Ryo, you beat Saban. Now return the crystals." Anubis asked nicely. 

Ryo laughed. 

"Why would I want to give this back? I am more powerful than I ever was! Nothing can stop me now, not even you!" Ryo bellowed.   
"Ryo, listen to us!" Sai said.   
"Don't make us have to hurt you man." Roin said. 

Ryo stood there, but did not budge. 

"You leave us no choice. Iron...Rock...Crusher!" Kento shouted, twirling the staff above his head. He pointed it to the ground, but nothing happened. 

"What?" Kento said.   
"I'll get him." Sekhmet said. 

He began to place his swords in front of him, but they fell on his feet. He began jumping up in down in pain. Ryo made him dance by discharging energy bolts from his own armor. 

"Wow, my old armor never did that before." he said. 

Hariel charged him, but Ryo disappeared in a flash of light. 

"What?" he said. 

Ryo appeared behind him. 

"Black Lightning Slash!" Ryo shouted. 

Hariel flew through the air, knocking over Kale. 

"Wave of Destruction!" Saranbo shouted. 

Ryo caught it and threw it at the others. 

"You fools have no chance against me!" he laughed. 

"Star Sword Scream!" Kayura shouted. 

The bolts bounced off of Ryo's armor, nailing everyone else. 

"I've had enough. I'll be back though." 

Ryo teleported away. 

"Oh no! The Ronins and Warlords have lost their powers." Mia said.   
"Tell us something we don't know." Kento said. 

Suddenly, they were on a tropical island! 

"Huh?" Roin said. 

The island faded and they were back where they started. 

"We haven't lost all our power. I can still do my illusions." Dais said. 

Sekhmet tried his six arm trick, and it worked. Kale sucked up the light and messed with the weather, and those powers worked. 

"It appears you still have your minor abilities." Anubis observed.   
"Yeah, then that means we're powerless." Roin said.   


Kayura took them back to Talpa's palace. There, they began to ponder the events that had just occurred. 

"It is odd, that while Ryo can use your sure-kills, your armors remain." Kayura observed.   
"That means that Ryo of the Wildfire...or should I say Crystónin...drained your armor's powers." Talpa said.   
"Maybe, when you gave them the crystals, all their armor drew power from them rather than their emotions." Kayura thought.   
"It is a possibility. But there is something I neglected to show you." Talpa said. 

He revealed to them yet another scroll. 

"It states that the armor Ryo now has, requires the Crystals of all nine armors in order to reach maximum capacity. He is unable to get Wildfire right now though. While you were fighting, I managed to summon it here. His armor now has removed all traces of the Wildfire armor." 

The vacant armor hovered in the air, its crystal still attached to it. 

"I have a plan. Saranbo, Saber Strike, you and I will go with Kayura, who will wear the Wildfire Armor. That may force Ryo out into the open, so that we can regain the crystals. Ronins and Warlords, come as soon as we knock the crystals off of Ryo." Hariel explained. 

After Kayura donned Wildfire, the group went into battle. Ryo found them. 

"Hello Kayura. I believe you have something that I need." he said.   
"Come and get it." she taunted.   
"Now!" Hariel commanded. 

Saber Strike went airborne. 

"Winged Angel of Death!"   
"Wave of Destruction!"   
"Rage of the Inferno!" 

The blasts struck Ryo, but failed to damage him. 

"We'll just have to do this manually." Hariel said. 

The group charged Ryo, knocking off all the crystals. 

"Yes! We did it!" Kayura exclaimed. 

The Ronins and Warlords ran out, grabbing their crystals. But something was definitely wrong. 

"I don't feel anything. Like the crystal's power's drained." Kento said. 

The others reported the same. Ryo started cackling like Tarantulas. 

"You are fools! I drained the crystals of all their power. It's all in my sub-armor now. The crystals are useless to you!" 

"Let's get out of here!" Roin shouted. 

Kayura transported them back to the palace. 

"I can't believe it. We're powerless." Kento said.   
"How are we going to fight Ryo, if we can't use our armor?" Roin asked. 

Sai yawned. "We'll talk in the morning." 

All the Ronins and Warlords went to sleep, but Saber Strike, Hariel, Saranbo, and Talpa stayed up to guard them. 

..."Where am I?" Sage said. 

He looked around. He appeared to be in a cave of some sort. He heard a voice say, "Darkest Prison sheds the light..." 

"What is that supposed to mean?" he wondered. The voice repeated itself. 

...Sage tossed and turned in his sleep... 

Sai was at a water park, having the time of his life. Suddenly a voice said, "Swirling beneath a sea of salt..." 

"What?" Sai said. 

The voice repeated itself over and over... 

"Oh this is the life." Kento said. 

He was having a wonderful dream apparently. Bikini-clad babes were feeding him to his heart's content. Suddenly, he heard a voice say, "Buried within a throne of rock..." 

"What?" he asked himself. Again, the voice kept repeating itself. 

...Roin was reading a book when a voice interrupted him saying, "Floating amongst the eyes of ages, unmoored in the stream of the sky..." 

"What's that supposed to mean?" Roin said. The voice repeated itself over and over. 

Anubis was also having a nightmare. "Anger entombed within a hollow spire." a voice was saying. 

"What?" 

But the voice kept repeating itself. 

Kale was also dreaming, but a voice kept saying in his head, "Secured where light has no dominion..." 

Sekhmet was having a pretty nice dream about torturing Indiana Jones. But then a voice said, "Cloaked where Torrent fears to tread..." 

"What is that supposed to mean?" he wondered. But the voice repeated itself over and over. 

Dais was in a cave, full of webs and fog. A voice repeated over and over, "Silk and vapors disguise the powers of infinite phantasm, below Hardrock's jurisdiction." 

"What?" 

Smart and quick-thinking as he was, Dais could not decipher the message. 

The next morning, the Ronins and Warlords woke up, their heads spinning from their dreams. Kayura, Mia, Yuli, Blackblaze, Saber Strike, Hariel, and Saranbo, and Talpa were about the only ones who got any sleep. 

"You guys look terrible." Mia said, observing the conditions of the others.   
"Be up half the night with a voice ringing through your head and see how you feel." Kento said, extremely grumpy.   
"You heard a voice too? Mine kept saying that the darkest prison sheds the light." Sage said.   
"Really. Well mine kept me up the whole night saying that something was entombed within a throne of rock." Kento said.   
"You think that's bad, mine kept saying something about swirling..." Sai began to say.   
"beneath a sea of salt." Mia said.   
"Yeah. How did you know?" he asked.   
"Your dreams must have been telling you to return to your hiding places. Roin, yours told you to float amongst the eyes of ages, unmoored in the stream of the sky, right?"   
"Yeah."   
"Talpa, is there any way you can send the Ronin Warriors back to their places of creation?" Mia asked.   
"My powers have grown weak, but I believe the staff could." he said.   
"Which reminds me. The staff is mine." Anubis said, changing the subject.   
"You forget, I am of the Ancient's clan, so it is rightfully mine!" Kayura shouted. 

The Ancient's spirit appeared to them. 

"I have had enough of your bickering! I will end this conflict, right here and now." 

The helmet from the Armor of Cruelty, and the Staff stood before them. 

"The path you take from now on will be forever determined by the item you take." he explained.   
"Kayura, I've been a fool," Anubis started to say.   
"Told ya." Kento said. "Pay up." 

Apparently a bet had been placed, and every other Warlord and warrior present paid Kento. 

Anubis scowled at Kento for thinking that the affairs of another are none of their business, and continued. "...for keeping the staff for so long. You may have it."   
"No Anubis. The suit looks better on you...you can have the staff." Kayura said.   
"No, I belong as the Ogre. Besides, you know more of the powers it possesses than I do." 

He stepped forward, and claimed the helmet. 

"Anubis, for now and forever, you will be the Ogre. As for you Kayura, not only do you get my wicked cool threads," 

The others stared at the Ancient for his attempt to use the language of their time, then continued by saying, "you also will wear my Armor of Kaos." 

"Armor of Kaos!" Anubis shouted in surprise.   
"She gets the Armor of Kaos?" Kale said, also shocked that his leader had lost to a girl, for the second time.   
"What's the Armor of Kaos?" Sekhmet asked. 

As if in answer, the Ancient's armor appeared on Kayura. Sheaths appeared at her side to hold her Starlight Swords. 

"When you wear the Armor, the Staff will become it. When you shed it, the Staff will return to your hands. But the powers may always be exercised." 

"Thank you, Ancient One." Kayura said. 

With that he vanished. 

"Getting back to the subject, I also heard a strange voice in my sleep." Anubis said.   
"What did it say?" Mia asked.   
"Something about Anger entombed within a hollow spire." Anubis said.   
"Mine spoke of being secured where light has no dominion." Kale said.   
"Mine spoke of being where Torrent fears to tread." Sekhmet said.   
"Mine spoke of silk and vapors disguising the power of infinite phantasm, and being below Hardrock's jurisdiction." Dais finished. 

Kento, Sage, and Sai were not too happy about these messages. 

"Below my jurisdiction?" Kento said, angry.   
"Where I fear to tread?" Sai added.   
"Where light has no dominion?" Sage added, really angry. 

Before a royal rumble could break out, Mia was at her grandfather's computer. 

"What are you doing Mia?" Yuli asked.   
"I'm searching for places that their armors could be based on what the Warlords said." she replied. 

Also on the screen was the poem. Under the lines that spoke of Torrent's place of creation, sure enough, the Warlord's lines were there too. 

The computer stopped working. 

"It's done it! Anubis, you should head to the mountains where Kento's Armor was, and you should be able to find the mountain where your armor supposed to be buried. Kale, follow Sage to his source, and go beyond. Sekhmet, head to the Taipan Swamp, and see what happens. Dais, go to the Gobi Desert."   
"But it's the second largest desert in the world! How am I supposed to find one spot?" Dais asked.   
"Because I'm going with you." Kayura said.   
"Anubis, allow me to help you." Saber Strike offered.   
"Kale, I will assist you." Saranbo said. 

Sekhmet stood there, waiting for someone to volunteer. 

"Hariel! You and me would make a great team." he said.   
"I'm afraid I have other business to attend to." he replied.   
"I will accompany you, Sekhmet of the Venom." a voice said. 

A figure stepped in, brandishing a cat-o'-nine-tails. 

"Sun Devil?" Talpa said, surprised.   
"Yes. It is I. Come with me." 

Before embarking, Kayura used the Ancient's powers to send the Ronins to their resting places, also sending Kale, Anubis, and their escorts to the vincity. Sekhmet, Sun Devil, and Kayura leaped aboard Mia's jeep, and drove off to find their sites. 

To be Continued....   
  
  
  
  



	2. Recharging and Recollecting

At the site where his Armor was supposedly supposed to be kept, Anubis entered a cave in a mountain. 

"This must be the plAAAAAAAAAAAce!" Anubis said as he fell into a deep hole. 

He fell a long way. When he finally landed, he was in a room, filled with paintings of his armor. 

"That's strange, I didn't feel any pain from the impact. This must be where my armor was created." 

Anubis assumed the lotus position and began to meditate. Slowly but surely, energy began to surge into his armor once more. 

Meanwhile, Sage was back in his crystal, in a coma like state, recharging. Kale looked around, attempting to find the place where his armor was supposedly kept. In the back, behind Sage, he found a wall. His instincts, or rather his sword, made him search along the wall, where he found a switch, which opened a door, which led to a set of stairs, which he descended. At the bottom, Kale was in a room which was completely dark. Somehow, he noticed paintings of his armor on the wall. 

"Obedience." He thought, causing his kanji to appear on his forehead. "Yes. This is the place, Jackal." a voice said. Kale began to meditate as Anubis did. 

In the Taipan Swamp, where Sekhmet and Sun Devil had been dropped off, the two surveyed the area. 

"Piety...Yes. The armor was indeed made here."   
"And it will die here as well." a voice said. 

Ryo appeared again. 

"So, you fools are trying to recharge your armors...It'd be a real shame if you should loose yours. But I'm going to be nice and let you and the others recharge. But remember this, it is only the lull before the storm. Enjoy your rest while you can...You'll need all your strength to beat me..Bwahaha!" 

Ryo faded away. Red Torrent stood in his place. 

"Fitting that I use a being you created to destroy you." Ryo's voice said. 

Sun Devil charged Red Torrent, who struck, poisoning him. 

"Sun Devil! Do not touch him! Use your weapons instead!" Sekhmet shouted. 

Sun Devil launched his darts, harming Red Torrent. He then struck with his whip, sending him even further back. 

"I have had enough of this. Tomb of Black Ice!" he shouted. 

Red Torrent became covered in ice, and was destroyed. 

"That was easy." Sun Devil said. 

Sekhmet stood there, puzzled about what was necessary to reveal his place of recharging. 

"Piety...Snake Fang Swords, lead me on my journey!" he shouted. 

Sekhmet unsheathed his swords, which led him to a particular spot. An energy dome surrounded him. He fell into a deep trance. Sun Devil left him. 

Kayura, Saber Strike and Sun Devil landed near Dais, who was attempting to find his source. 

"Serenity...Armor of Illusion, show me the path!" he shouted. 

Fighting their way through a sandstorm, they came upon a temple. 

"That must be it!" Kayura said. 

"No. It can't be." 

They watched as the mirage faded away. The group pressed on, until a hole opened in the ground, causing Dais to fall in.   
"Dais!" Kayura shouted. 

Inside, Dais found webs and mist. 

"Just like my dream." Dais said. 

The Ancient's spirit appeared. 

"Dais...The hiding places of the Warlords were kept secret...but now you and the others have found them." 

Dais climbed into the web, and fell into a deep sleep. 

Meanwhile, Hariel was searching for something in a damaged city. 

"It has to be around here somewhere!" he shouted. "Where did I put it before..." 

He continued to hunt for something. "Why can't I remember?" he asked himself. 

"Because you are a fool, that's why." a voice said. 

Hariel whirled around to find an African man in tribal clothing. 

"Who are you?" Hariel asked.   
"Oh, so you don't remember me, do you, Ryo. Perhaps this will refresh your memory." the man said. 

"Mopezia izizudi Toamamba rumi!" he chanted. 

He raised his hands to the sky, and black crystals erupted from the ground. An armor was laying down and sat up. It's helmet appeared, and butterflies made of energy flew out. He held out his hands, and the butterflies formed his armor right over his garments. 

Hariel observed that he was wearing an armor like his own, but darker in color. 

"I am Mukara, master of the Black Inferno Armor! Prepare to be destroyed, Ryo no Rekka!" 

He drew his boomerang, and whacked Hariel with it. It flew back to his hand. Hariel charged with the Soul Swords, but Mukara performed a roundhouse kick, sending Hariel flying. 

"You are not going to win this time, Ryo no Rekka!" he shouted.   
"I told you, I'm not Ryo! My name is Hariel!" he shouted.   
"Ah, so now you are a liar! All the more reason for me to destroy you!" Mukara shouted. 

He whacked Hariel with his boomerang again. 

"I'm getting sick of you." Hariel placed the Soul Swords together. "Rage...of...the Inferno!" 

A white hot blast of energy flew at Mukara. 

"So, you choose to fight like that, do you? You were able to defeat me before with that, but this time you will fail! Sen...Kou...Zan!" Mukara said. 

A black burst of energy flew at Hariel. The antipodes met in the air. Hariel's succeeded in striking. 

"So, you have gotten stronger since last we fought, Ryo no Rekka!" Mukara said. 

He swung at Hariel with his boomerang, but Hariel swung at the same time with his Soul Swords, causing their weapons to lock. They fought to disarm one another, but they both lost the fight. 

"Fine Ryo no Rekka, we will settle this by hand to hand combat!" Mukara said. 

Hariel had about had it with this guy. "For the zillionth time," he said. "I" he said as he punched Mukara in the face, "am" as he kicked him in the chest, "not" as he backhanded Mukara, "Ryo!" He said as he sent him flying with an uppercut. 

"Got it?" Hariel said as he landed.   
"I refuse to believe your tricks!" Mukara shouted as he recovered his boomerang. 

"Well believe this!" a voice said. An energy bolt slammed into Mukara, sending him flying. 

"Well, well, if it isn't that fool Mukara. You never were a match for me, and you never will be." Ryo said. He had appeared on a building. 

Hariel removed his helmet. "See? Ryo," pointing at him, "not Ryo." he said while pointing at himself. "Got it?"   
"Yes. What do you suggest we do?" Mukara asked.   
"Follow my lead." Hariel said, placing his swords together. "Rage...of...the Inferno!" he shouted.   
"Sen...Kou...Zan!" Mukara shouted. 

Both blasts slammed into Ryo. 

"You may have won this battle, but I will win the war!" Ryo said. 

With that, he disappeared. 

Hariel turned to Mukara. 

"Now, why did you call him Ryo no Rekka?" Hariel asked.   
"Because that is his title." Mukara asked.   
"I have never heard him called that. I have heard him been referred to as Ryo of the Wildfire, but never Ryo no Rekka."   
"This Ryo you speak of, is he leader of the Yoroiden Samurai Troopers?" Mukara asked.   
"No. He leads...or did lead, the Ronin Warriors. Why?"   
"The Ryo that beat me was known as Ryo no Rekka and wore the armor that you have on you now, called the Kikoutei."   
"You must be mistaken. This is the Armor of Inferno."   
"Call it what you will. I will go to the place where the Yoroiden Samurai Troopers were last stationed." Mukara said. "Perhaps his companions will be able to tell me what has become of my former enemy. But I will help you fight this foe." 

He changed into a large butterfly and flew off. 

Hariel stood there for a moment, wondering who in the Nether Realm this guy was, before following him in a plume of flame. 

To be Continued...   
  
  
  



	3. Back to the Drawing Board

Ronin Warriors Vs Ryo.

In the home of Mia, Hariel, Mukara, and the Lesser Warlords; Sun Devil, and Saranbo, and Saber Strike, were plotting and planning to save Ryo from certain doom.   


"So what must we do?" Mia asked the others.   
"Ryo has become too dangerous for even us to fight." Saber Strike said.   
"True, but we also have his armor here." Saranbo reminded the group. 

Mukara took one look at the armor. 

"That is the Armor of Ryo no Rekka, the one I search for." he said.   
"I get it. Mukara must come from some other dimension where Ryo is known by that name."   
"I do. I fell through a portal that brought me here." he said.   
"I have an idea. I know someone who could command Ryo's armor while he is not in it." Saber Strike suggested. 

Kayura used the staff to send a message to someone. 

Major Jonathan Wolfe woke up from a terrible nightmare about him fighting alongside the Ronins as one. He walked to his bathroom and looked at himself in the mirror. 

"What is happening? Why am I thinking about the dealing with Draka?" 

Ryo's Kanji appeared on his forehead.   
  


"Because you are requested by the Ronin Warriors to assist us." Kayura said. 

She was in Ancient form, with the traditional robes. 

She held out Ryo's orb. 

"By accepting this, you will be known as Jonathan of the Wildfire." she said.   
"Don't like it." he said.   
"Major Wolfe of the Wildfire?" she suggested.   
"Nope."   
"Fine, Wolfe of the Wildfire." she said, frustrated.   
"It has a nice ring to it." he said. 

He took the crystal and was outfitted in Ryo's Sub Armor. 

When the two returned, Rowen and the others had returned. 

"We're back!" Kento said happily.   
"Are you fully recharged?" Hariel asked.   
"We are totally juiced!" Rowen said. 

Mukara looked at them. "Shin! Shyu! Touma! Seiji!" Mukara said. 

The Ronins stared at him confused. 

"It's a long story." Hariel explained. "He thinks you guys are the Yoroiden Samurai Troopers, whoever they are. Apparently he's never heard of me." 

The Warlords returned only moments later. 

"Anubis!" Mukara shouted.   
"Yes?" Anubis asked.   
"No, not you, the one in Gold."   


"You must be mistaken. My name is Kale." he said.   
"No, your name is Anubis." He then pointed to Sekhmet, "and you are Naaza," to Dais, "and you are Rajura." He finished by pointing to Anubis, "and you are Douji, not Anubis."   
"Would somebody please explain to me what in the Nether World is going on?" Dais asked.   
"He's from somewhere else." Hariel explained once more. 

"Why are we just sitting around here? Why can't we go stop Ryo? We can take him!" Kento protested.   
"Because he is more powerful then you all put together." Saber Strike explained.   
"I agree with Kento. We are at full strength again." Sai said.   
"Ryo wouldn't sit on his butt if one of us was in the same situation." Rowen added.   
"I say we go fight Ryo!" Sage added. 

The four stormed out, searching for Ryo. 

"Come on, we better go with them." Anubis said.   
"But why?" Kale asked.   
"_Someone's _got to save them when they lose." he explained. 

So the Warlords charged after the Ronins. 

It was not long before the gang found Ryo.   


"So, you fools are crazy enough to fight me." Ryo said, totally dominated by the armor of Crystónin.   
"Ryo! You've got to listen to us! Take off the armor now!" Ronin commanded.   
"Never! I'll have your armor before I remove mine!" Ryo shouted diabolically. 

Kento struck with his Iron Rock Crusher, but it failed to phase Ryo. The others opened fire on Ryo, but he simply sent their attacks flying right back at them. 

"Now, you fools" Ryo said, "I take what I forgot to take last time!" 

Ryo moved in to suck what was left of their powers from them. Suddenly Wolfe leaped in, and whacked Ryo with his swords! 

"Back off Ryo." Wolfe said. "I'm here to take you down."   
"And I'm here," Ryo said, "to take your crystal!" 

Ryo reached out and ripped the crystal off of the Wildfire armor. It locked onto Ryo's own armor. 

Ryo cackled with glee. 

"Now, I am at full power! Feel the true power of the Crystónin armor! Wrath of the Crystónin!" 

Ryo fired a super-charged energy blast at the remaining Ronin Warriors, damaging them severely. But the attack took more than their strength. It took their sub-armor as well.   


"What are we going to do now?" Sai asked.   
"One thought comes to mind." Sage added.   
"Yeah! We Ruuuuuuuuuuun!" Rowen shouted.   
"We can take him! A samurai does not run!"   
"Oh shut up Kento!" Rowen shouted as he dragged him away from the fight, begging to him to let go. 

The Ronins limped back to Mia's home. 

"What happened to you guys?" she asked.   
"Ryo took our armor." Rowen explained.   
"What about Wolfe?" Kayura asked. 

Wolfe limped in, without the Wildfire. 

"Ryo got it too." he replied sadly.   
"Oh this is just dandy." Talpa complained. "Ryo's got all the power in the world, and we don't have a thing that can stop him."   
"Are you forgetting about us?" Anubis asked.   
"You'd only loose your armor like the Ronins." he explained.   
"We can enhance the Warlord Armors with the new magic." Mukara said.   
"I like that idea." Anubis said. 

The Warlords had shed their armor. They walked out. 

"Ronin Warriors, there is but one thing that can stop Ryo. The power of the White Neo Armors." Kayura said. 

She took the form of the Ancient. Before her was a huge hunk of metal. 

"This metal is the same metal that the Inferno was forged from. There is just enough to make five more for you. 

She began brandishing the staff. She began saying the same chant used ages ago to make the original armors. 

Ga su jinshu   
Reke hongan zo   
Jin ze nu   
Reke jin so za   
Gi ze nu   
Reke gi so ze   
Rei ze nu   
Regur rei so za   
Chi zu nu   
Reke chi so ze   
Shin ze nu   
Reke shin so za. 

"Virtue" "Justice" "Life" "Wisdom" "Trust"   


The White Neo Armors appeared before the Ronins and Wolfe. 

"These are your new armors. With them, you will be unstoppable." Kayura said. 

To be Continued...

  



	4. Preparations

Ronin Warriors VS. Ryo.

In Mia's home, the Ronins were testing their new armor. Rowen was flying around outside, dive-bombing Saber Strike, who was trying to teach Hariel the secrets of the Soul Swords. Kento had discovered his armor gave him super strength, so he was bench pressing Mia's jeep. Sai was inside with the sinks running, testing his hydrokinetic powers. Sage was attempting to learn his phototheraputic abilities, while Wolfe was training hard to command his aura of flame.

But Mia had about had it with the foolishness.

"Rowen, you get down here this instant! Kento, put down my jeep! Sai, turn off the water! Sage, you can heal everyone later."

The Warlords were watching TV, while Kayura rested nearby on the floor. Anubis and Dais were in the process of explaining to Kale that there were not little people inside the TV, but he kept saying that he was SURE that there were and that if they opened up the back of the TV they would find out.

As this was going on, Mukara was thinking real hard about what they should do to save Ryo. He, like everyone else save the Ronins, had shed his armor. He had just come to a conclusion.

"Natsutei, I mean Mia, I have an idea on how to save Ryo." he said.   
"What?" she asked.   
"You have told me that he is wearing a necklace of some sort, correct?" he said.   
"Yes. Why?" Mia asked.   
"If we were to remove that from him, would that stop Crystónin?"   
"It might, but it's too risky. We don't know if the White Neo Armors can handle Ryo." Mia said.   
"I see." Mukara replied.

That night, while everyone slept, Mukara snuck out of the premises, without his armor.

"If they won't do it, then I will have to." he thought.

It was not long before Ryo found Mukara.

"So, the little fool wishes to confront me." Ryo said.   
"I do." Mukara shouted back.   
"I suppose you've come for the Jewel of Life." Ryo said.   
"That is what I am here for." Mukara said.   
"Then you will die!" Ryo shouted, unsheathing the Sword of Morphix.   
"Mopezia...izuzudi...toamamba..." Mukara began to say.

Black crystals began to erupt from the ground.

He bowed down. "...rumi."

More began to come forth. His armor sat up. Butterflies flew out of his helmet, which placed his armor directly over his clothes.

"Wrath of Crystónin!" Ryo shouted, opening fire on Mukara.

"Sen...Kou...Zan!" Mukara shouted, sending a black version of Rage of the Inferno at Ryo.

Ryo grabbed it and threw it back at Mukara. Mukara reeled back from the blow. He then threw his boomerang at Ryo, succeeding in disarming him. Ryo charged Mukara and disarmed him. Ryo punched Mukara, and Mukara kicked Ryo. As he did so, he swiped at Ryo. Ryo nailed him with an uppercut, sending him flying away. Mukara fled.

"Run away you fool! You will never defeat me!" Ryo shouted.

Mukara limped back to Mia's home, severely bruised from his run-in with Ryo.

"What happened to you?" Mia asked.

Mukara opened his hand, revealing the Jewel of Life.

"You got the Jewel? Were you crazy?" Mia asked.

"No one else would go with me. I had to do this myself." Mukara explained.   
"Why didn't you ask? Fighting Ryo alone is madness!" she said.

Hariel came in. 

"He got the jewel?" he asked. 

Mukara nodded, then collapsed on the floor. 

"Hariel, I think he's dying. Wake up Sage!" Mia ordered. 

Sage was fetched. 

"What is it?" he asked.   
"Sage, I need you to use your armor on Mukara."   
"Okay. Armor of White Neo Halo!" he began. The armor appeared before him. "Tao...Chi Chi!" 

He was surrounded by wallpaper and then enveloped in beams of white light. The light beams broke and hooked his mighty armor on like Inferno. He knelt down by Mukara and concentrated. 

"Wisdom." he thought. His kanji appeared on his forehead, and then his armor began to glow with energy. A beam of light flashed out from his helmet and moved over Mukara's injuries, healing them as if nothing had happened to him to begin with. Mukara stood up. 

"Thank you, Sage of the Halo." he said. 

Meanwhile, Hariel had vanished. 

"I've got to find it." He said. 

Finally, he located a warehouse where he had hid what he was searching for: The Dark Inferno exo armor. It was still 35 feet tall, but Hariel managed to climb aboard. The outer doors closed behind him. 

"Dark Inferno, power up and run diagnostic scan on all systems." he commanded. 

All systems go.The system commanded.

"Now, since we are now working to fight off someone smaller than the armor, is there anything you can do to better fulfill that mission?" Hariel asked.

Yes. Now Resizing Dark Inferno.

"Let me out before you do that!" Hariel shouted.

But the armor refused to listen. It began modifying itself. Hariel could only watch as the systems modified:

Modifying internal structure...Done   
Compressing weapons systems...Done

Resizing complete...Have a nice day.

Hariel leaped out of his armor, finding that it had converted itself so that now it was only about 10 feet tall. He climbed back in and blasted off for Mia's house.

"Where have you been?" Mia asked when he got back.   
"Getting Dark Inferno." he replied.   
"What happened to you?" she asked.   
"Oh nothing. Dark Inferno resized itself." he said.   
"Why would that make you a nervous wreak?" she asked.   
"With me inside it." he replied.   
"That could be a problem." she said.   
"Tell me about it." Hariel said.

Meanwhile, the Warlords returned from some excursion.

"We're back!" Kale shouted.   
"Where were you guys?" Mia demanded. "Everyone's been disappearing today."   
"We went to see Kinjiro." Anubis explained.   
"That techno guy that worked for Talpa?" Mia asked.

They nodded.

"He made some improvements to our armor." Anubis explained. He pushed a button on his kasari-gama, and the chain retracted, leaving him with a sickle.   
"Check this out." Kale said. The v on his helmet became a straight angle and rotated upwards toward the top of his head. It began spinning and Kale went skyward.

"I call it my Kale Copter." he said.   
"Kayura made some modifications to my powers." Sekhmet explained.

His kanji of piety appeared on his forehead. Four more arms sprouted from his body, clad in his armor.

"She increased the potency of my poisons too."

"That's nothing." Dais said.

He pointed his morning star at a wall. It fired out on a large beam, smashed a hole in the wall, then came back to to Dais.

"Hydraulically enhanced." Dais explained. "I also have a special lens to help me see upside down, and Kayura improved my illusions ten fold. Kinjiro also gave me something called a holographic projector. He said it was like my illusions, only better. I disagree."

"I wasn't finished yet." Kale said. "Turn off the lights."

Mia did.

Darkness detected. Engaging night vision. His armor said.

"Infrared enhanced too." he explained.

_So, Dark Inferno has been found, the Ronins have their White Neo Armor, the Warlords have enhancements to their powers. But is this all enough to save Ryo? Find out in the thrilling conclusion to Ryo of the Crystónin._   


  
  



	5. Confrontation and Acomplisment.

Ronin Warriors Vs. Ryo: THe final Battle.

Outside, our heroes and their allies were practicing their skills. Well, not everyone. Kento was carbo-loading, knowing full well he'd need it to handle Ryo. Kayura was sleeping, resting up just in case she had to intervene. The Warlords were watching TV. Jeopardy was on, so they were cleaning up since they'd been around for a few centuries. Not to mention they were still trying to convince Kale that there were not little people inside the TV. Of course he kept insisting that there were. Saber Strike had removed his helmet, and was mediating, hoping to find some inner peace, not to mention send a telepathic e-mail to his master for assistance. Saranbo was testing Rowen in the sky, getting him ready for aerial combat, since he himself had just remembered he could fly. Dais had driven Talpa out of his mind, so he fulfilled Dais' request and revived the Sand Strikers. Gash was also brought back so that he could use his skills to track down Ryo. Sage however, had become fed up with all this procrastination.

"I'm sick and tired of watching you guys sit around moping around. While you're watching that, and you're catching up on your beauty sleep, and you call your sensei, Ryo is out there, becoming further corrupted by Crystónin by the minute. If it was one of us in trouble, he would have saved us by now." he said.

The others agreed.

"Much to your dismay, Sage of the Halo, I have been planning our attack plan with the Major here. He will lead the Ronin Warriors in a frontal attack against Ryo, attempting to weaken him with their White Neo Armor..." he began to say.   
"I don't like this plan already. Saranbo, myself, and Hariel can all fly, so why don't we hit him from above? We might even be able to knock off a few crystals." Rowen suggested.   
"I volunteer to go with them." Sun Devil said.   
"Very well. Hariel, you will lead an airborne assault with the Dark Inferno. Wolfe and the Ronin Warriors will charge Ryo head on in an attempt to weaken him with their powers while Hariel and his team swoop in an aerial assault. Anubis, you and your Warlords will sneak up from behind Ryo. The Sand Strikers, myself, Saber Strike and Mukara will lure Ryo into a trap so that you can get him. If we work fast, we may be able to stop his armor." Gash finished.

"Let's suit up. Ronin Warriors To Arms!" Wolfe shouted.   
"Let's just hope it's not the last time we can do this." Sage said.   
"Armor of White Neo Wildfire! Tao Jin Jin!" Wolfe shouted.   
"Armor of White Neo Hardrock! Tao Gi Gi!" Kento shouted.   
"Armor of White Neo Strata! Tao Inochi Inochi!" Rowen added.   
"Armor of White Neo Halo! Tao Chi Chi!" Sage added.   
"Armor of White Neo Torrent! Tao Shin Shin!" Sai finished.

The Ronins went through a suped up version of their transformations and were placed in their White Neo Armors.

"Armor of Cruelty! Tao Chu!" Anubis shouted. His helmet appeared before him.   
"Armor of Corruption! Tao Ko!" Kale added. His helmet appeared before him.   
"Armor of Venom! Tao Tei!" Sekhmet shouted. His helmet appeared before him.   
"Armor of Illusion! Tao Nin!" Dais shouted. His helmet appeared before him.

"To Arms!" Anubis shouted, placing his helmet on his head. The other Warlords did the same and their armor appeared on them piece by piece.

Hariel boarded Dark Inferno and powered it up.

"Mopezia...izzudi...toamamba..." Mukara began to say.

Black crystals erupted from the ground.

"rumi." he said as he bowed.

His armor sat up, and butterflies flew out of the helmet. They placed his armor on him, and he was ready.

Gash and his team moved out. In seconds, his tracking skills had located Ryo.

"Ah, another fool to destroy. Wrath of Crystónin!" Ryo shouted.

The Sand Strikers turned to sand and reformed. Saber Strike went airborne.

"Winged Angel of Death!" he shouted, forcing Ryo toward the other's location. Ryo again tried to blast the Sand Strikers, but they changed to sand and reformed every time Ryo attempted to strike, and Saber Strike kept using his sure-kill attempting to lure Ryo into the trap Gash had set. The Sand Strikers continued to somatically taunt Ryo into firing at them, while Saber Strike kept firing time and time again.

"Hurry Gash!" he shouted. "I won't be able to hold out much longer." Saber Strike shouted as he fired off other Winged Angel of Death.   
"Hariel, are you in range yet?" he asked through telepathy.   
"Negative. Rowen and Saranbo are having a hard time keeping up with me."   
"Wolfe, get ready. We're about one hundred yards and closing fast."   
"Got it. Ronin Warriors, get ready. Gash tells me Saber Strike can't keep it up for long." Wolfe informed his team.   
"I see them!" Sai said. He had noticed Saber Strike while he was airborne.   
"thirty-four yards and closing..." Gash informed them.   
"Ready..." Wolfe ordered.

He prepared the Wildfire Swords. Kento grabbed his three section staff. Sage prepared his no-daichi. Sai aimed his staff.

"twenty yards and closing..." Gash said.

Up in the air, Hariel could spot Ryo.

"There's our target. Dark Inferno, prepare pylons." Hariel commanded.

The pylons locked into position on the shoulders.

"Dilute power by 4:1 ratio. We don't want to destroy him." Hariel commanded his armor.

Modifying power systems...Warning! Warning! Pylons now fail to work.

"What? Restore to full power!" Hariel commanded.

Restoring power...10 minutes until full power will be reached. Now engaging Muzak.

Not only would Hariel loose his window of opportunity, he'd have to listen to annoying music while it recharged.

"Um Gash, I screwed something up in Dark Inferno. It's going to take me 10 minutes before I'm ready to attack." Hariel said.   
"What! My beautiful scheme! Ruined by you!" Gash complained.   
"Don't blame me, blame the armor." Hariel told him.   
"Well, you're the one driving it!" Gash fired back. "How long now?"   
"5 minutes remain until Dark Inferno can open fire with the pylons." Hariel said. "They're its most powerful weapons." he explained.   
"Well why don't you see if your missile systems work! Maybe that will slow Ryo down!' Gash suggested.   
"Dark Inferno, launch missiles." Hariel commanded.

That worked, and Dark Inferno opened fire with a thunderous barrage of missiles, nailing Ryo. Ryo then locked onto him.

"Wonderful. 1 minute 'til full power, two seconds before Ryo fries me. Rowen, Saranbo, see if you can distract Ryo while I get this thing ready for the Rage." Hariel suggested.

"You got it." Rowen said.   
"Affirmative." Saranbo added.

They peeled off from formation and buzzed Ryo, taunting him.

"Arrow Shock...Wave!" Rowen shouted, opening fire on Ryo.

"Wave of Destruction!" Saranbo shouted, hovering in the air and opening fire on Ryo. 

Full power reached.

"I'm ready to blast Ryo."

"Wolfe, you ready?" Gash asked.   
"All set." he said.

Kale touched down, and the Warlords climbed off of him. He disengaged his Kale Copter.

"We're late! Run!" Anubis shouted, and the Warlords rushed to get into position.

In seconds they were ready.

"Okay, Dais, you get Ryo's attention." Gash ordered.   
"Got it."

Dais engaged his holographic projector, causing the Ronins to appear all over the place. While Ryo blasted at the fakes, he and Anubis took positions on buildings, readying their weapons for an all out entanglement.

Saber Strike Anubis Sai   
  
Kale Sage   
  
DI(A) Kayura Ryo is here. Saranbo(A) Wolfe Rowen(A)   
  
Sun Devil Talpa 

Sekhmet Kento 

Dais 

There's the setup above, for those interested. 

...Once they had taken their positions, Gash gave the order to proceed with Phase 1. 

"Quake...With...Fear!" Anubis shouted, entangling Ryo with his chain.   
"Web of Deception!" Dais shouted, further wrapping up Ryo with his chains and webs.   
"Phase 2! Now!" Gash shouted.   
"Flare Up...Now!" Wolfe screamed.   
"Arrow Shock...wave!" Rowen added.   
"Thunder...Bolt...Cut!" Sage screamed.   
"Unsladuna!" Talpa shouted, who had just joined them.   
"Super Wave Smasher!" Sai added.   
"Iron Rock Crusher!" Kento shouted.   
"Star Sword Scream!" Kayura shouted   
"Rage of the Dark Inferno!" Hariel shouted, blasting Ryo with everything he had.   
"Black Lightning Slash!" Kale shouted.   
"Tomb of Black Ice!" Sun Devil commanded.   
"Snake...Fang...Strike!" Sekhmet shouted.   
"Winged Angel of Death!" Saber Strike shouted.   
"Wave of Destruction!" Saranbo shouted. 

Every attack uttered slammed into Ryo, causing a huge explosion of magnanimous proportions. Every Ronin, Warlord and Forgotten Soul was knocked backward by the force of all their powers fired simultaneously. The smoke began to clear and everyone struggled to get up. 

"Did it work?" Kale asked. 

Ryo was still there when the smoke cleared, laughing maniacally. 

"You fools thought all your powers fired simultaneously would beat me? You were wrong! I absorbed all that energy. Here, have your powers back!" 

Ryo threw everyone's respective energies back at them, knocking them down again. 

Kento got up first. Taking one look at the Sand Strikers, he for once had an inspiration. 

"Focus your virtues on Ryo guys! It might be the only way of stopping him." Kento explained. 

"Virtue!"   
"Justice!"   
"Life!"   
"Wisdom!"   
"Trust!"   
"Loyalty!"   
"Obedience!"   
"Piety!"   
"Serenity!" 

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ryo screamed, severely weakened by the true powers of the nine armors.   
"Saber Strike, Hariel, your swords alone might have the power hold Ryo at bay so that I can use the staff on him." Kayura suggested. 

Hariel exited Dark Inferno, which was still trained on Ryo. 

"Saber Strike...awaken the full power of your Swords of Light..." a voice said.   
"Yes, my master." he said. 

He pointed his swords at Ryo. 

"Feel the full power of my Swords of Light! Luminance of the Heavens!" Saber Strike shouted, sending a blast of pure light energy slamming into Ryo.   
"Flames From Within!" Hariel shouted, sending energy bolts unlike anything the Ronins had ever seen before from the Soul Swords or from the Swords of Light, which nailed Ryo with incredible force. 

"It's working!" Gash exclaimed. "Focus your virtues harder!" 

The kanjis on their foreheads became brighter than ever. Saber Strike and Hariel focused harder, increasing the intensity. Ryo screamed in pain as the blasts began to tear him free from his possession. 

Separation from Crystónin armor 50% complete.

Dark Inferno kept them posted on their progress as the Ronins, Warlords, Hariel and Saber Strike pushed their powers beyond the limits they thought they had.

10% complete.

"We can't keep this up much longer!" Saber Strike shouted to Gash.   
"You've almost done it!" Gash shouted back.

5% complete.

Hariel and the others dropped to their knees in exhaustion, and struggled to their feet, while he and Saber Strike continued to blast Ryo with their swords.

"Dark Inferno...help me." Hariel said weakly.

At that moment the armor opened fire with it's pylons, nailing Ryo with it's power of pure good.

Talpa watched as the machine that he had once commanded use the power of pure good. He looked at his Warlords, who were on their last legs. He watched as his hated enemies Saber Strike and Hariel risk their lives to save Ryo, even if it meant destroying him. Suddenly Talpa felt the presence of one he had not felt in a long time...

"This is your path now Talpa...Make it a journey."

"Okay, you @$#%% armor from hell!" Talpa shouted. "Take this! Unsladuna!" Talpa shouted.

The blast slammed into Ryo. Dark Inferno said they were 1.5% to their goal. Just then the Ronins collapsed from exhaustion.

"Don't worry...We're with you..." Anubis said before they too fell.

Kayura aimed her staff, and let the armor have it. Gash saw a familiar spirit appear behind Kayura; the Ancient. Badamon's spirit appeared with Talpa.

Exorcism complete.

Ryo flew out of the armor and collapsed on the ground. At that point everyone else collapsed.

Gash and the Sand Strikers watched in horror and awe as the armor stood up once more.

"Ha ha ha."   
"I know that voice." Ryo said weakly. "It's Dara..." he said before being completely exhausted.   
"Correct. I see you wasted all your power trying to save Ryo that you didn't realize in the split second Ryo was knocked free of the armor, I was summoned from the spirit world to it." Dara said.

Dara stood ready to wipe everyone out with Crystónin's full power. No one could hope to stop him now. Sun Devil and Saranbo stood up, but before they could blast Dara with their power he knocked them out with an energy bolt from Crystónin. Dark Inferno was almost completely out of power, but secretly limped away, leaving its weakened master where he lay. Only Talpa, Kayura, Gash, and the Sand Strikers remained to deal with Dara.

"Ran Sei Zan!" Kayura shouted, releasing the full power of her Starlight Swords. Dara laughed as the blast struck, and then sent it flying back at her, knocking her out of the running.

"That merely tickled." Dara said.   
"Unsda..."   
"I wouldn't try that Talpa. Unless you wish to see your allies, new and old ever again." Dara said.   
"I'd rather perish than see you succeed Dara. Unsladuna!" Talpa shouted, blasting Dara with his power

Dara sent it flying back at Talpa, knocking him down.

"Anyone else want to try? No? Well say good-bye to this world then." Dara began.   
"He stole my line, the bastard..." Sekhmet said weakly as he somehow returned to consciousness before being exhausted once more.   
"Wrath of the Cryt..." Dara began

Suddenly he was tackled by Blackblaze with a terrifying roar.

"Get off me, you stupid cat!" Dara shouted. He tossed him aside and aimed his gauntlet to destroy the great feline.   
"Bye-bye, pussycat!" Dara said.   
"Sen...Kou..Zan!" a voice shouted.

An energy bolt slammed into a distracted Dara, sending him flying!

"What the?" was all Dara could say.

Dark Inferno flew in, with none other than Yuli on board.

Dark Inferno weapons systems online. Preparing for counter strike.

"Ready little one?" Mukara asked Yuli.   
"You got it!"   
"Dark Inferno, you ready?" Mukara asked.

Ready for attack. Initiating Rage of Dark Inferno.

The pylons opened fire at Dara.

"Sen...Kou...Zan!" Mukara added.

Yuli added the power of the Jewel of Life to the fun.

A powerful energy bolt slammed into Dara, causing him to be knocked from the armor. He then began flashing with energy.

"I'll get you for this you mother f..."

Then he exploded in a burst of blood, guts, and glory.

"Mukara, Dark Inferno and Yuli win. Fatality." a voice said.

"Where is that voice coming from?" Mukara wondered.

One by one the Ronins and Warlords began to stand up slowly. Followed by the others in the group, and finally Ryo.

"Whoa. I had the strangest dream. Did I miss anything?" he said.

Everyone except Mukara and Yuli collapsed once more. The two died laughing.

"What's so funny?" Ryo asked.

The End....For now.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
